Competition was fierce this year to determine Computerworld's 100 Best Places to Work in IT. In a white-hot jobs market, organizations are pulling out the stops to attract and retain talented, visionary tech workers.

How do they do that? Let's look to our three top organizations for insight.

Our No. 1 large organization is Quicken Loans, a six-time repeat champion out of Detroit. Quicken Loans stays on top of the pack year after year by refusing to rest on its laurels; the company continuously rolls out new IT initiatives like this year's "Connect, Grow, Lead," a 12-month hands-on leadership development/retention program that focuses on growing core leadership and management skills.

The firm has a deep-seated commitment to innovation -- giving IT employees the tools and the time to develop next year's big ideas. And Quicken Loans' build vs. buy philosophy means IT staffers get to play with the latest technologies as they work on mission-critical systems.

Everyone from CIO Linglong He on down is dedicated to making work fun -- anything from on-site yoga classes and all-you-can-eat popcorn to choice seats for all of Detroit's major sports teams.

Our No. 1 midsize organization is Credit Acceptance, its first time in the top spot. This company, also in the Detroit area, attracts and retains top talent with competitive starting salaries and frequent raises, bonuses and promotions. One employee who spoke with Computerworld said he'd had three promotions and several raises in four years with the firm.

Credit Acceptance staffers praise the company's "positive vibe," collaborative environment and what CIO John Soave calls its "listening culture," where every employee's ideas are heard.

Our No. 1 small organization is Noah Consulting, which took the top spot last year as well. It's a virtual firm, with consultants working all over the country, but with a very strong sense of shared culture and collaboration that keeps everyone feeling supported.

Twice a year, Noah flies everyone into its Houston headquarters for a couple of big events. In between, it hosts smaller local happy hours, and the three company founders make it a point to personally visit team members as often as possible.

Noah only hires the top of the top talent and then gives them challenging, rotating assignments to keep them from getting bored. Employees who work there say they're drawn to the combination of top colleagues and plum assignments.

If you work at a great place and you'd like to see it highlighted here next year, nominations for 2016 are open now.